HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team on Thursday dropped the rubber game of their three-game Pacific West Conference series against in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University, 3-2, at HPU's field at Sand Island Park, nicknamed the Sharks Den.
Larchelle Tuifao (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kapolei) and
Summer Buck (Honolulu/Kaiser) had five of the Silverswords' six hits on the afternoon. Tuifao was 3-for-3 and drove in both Silversword runs including a solo blast while Buck had two leadoff doubles.
The loss dropped Chaminade to 2-16 overall and 1-2 in the PacWest while HPU is 8-10 and 2-1 in the conference. Although the Sharks have dominated the overall series between the two programs, recent outcomes have been nail-biters with 10 of the last 11 games having been decided by two runs or less with the Sharks taking six of them.
Tuifao launched her second jack of the season with two outs in the top of the first, which easily carried over the left field fence. It was also the senior's 10th career home run, becoming just the sixth player in program history to reach the double-digit homer plateau, joining Brandi Sasaki (25 homers), Rainelle Matsuoka (23), Pua Reis (16), Rayna Strom-Okimoto (13) and Jenn Betian (11).
A wild pitch in the bottom of the second allowed the Sharks to tie the score. It remained a 1-all deadlock until the sixth when HPU got its first two batters on, then took the lead on another wild pitch. A sacrifice fly later in the frame made it 3-1.
Like Wednesday's second game, the extra run turned out to be critical for the Sharks. Pinch hitter
Bailey Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress) led off the seventh with a walk and was pinch-run for by
Elora Tonaki (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Technology Academy). Two outs later, Tuifao came through in the clutch, roping a liner down the left-field line and into the corner, allowing Tonaki to score, making it 3-2, and putting the tying run at second. However, the 'Swords were not able to get the run across.
Of Chaminade's six hits, five were extra bases including a double from
Taneia Simanu (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) that dropped inside the right-field line in the fourth.
Vanessa Pena (Paramount, Calif./Paramount) went the distance, striking out two, but suffered the loss. However, the southpaw was able to work out of jams in the third and fifth innings and stranded six HPU runners.
Taylor Thompson picked up the win for HPU.
The Silverswords are back on their own field just 50 feet away from the Sharks Den this weekend for a three-game series against their other in-state rival, the University of Hawai'i Hilo. The series-opening twin bill is Saturday at Silversword Field with the single-game finale on Sunday. Both start times are at noon.
